


Volume 1: Pilaf Saga

by AzureLightsmith09



Series: Dragon Ball: Grasscutter [1]
Category: Dragon Ball
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:07:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28420668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AzureLightsmith09/pseuds/AzureLightsmith09
Summary: It is here where it all begins, with Son Kusa meeting Bulma and going off on an adventure to collect the Dragon Balls. How will things play out compared to the original story? Simultaneously more and less goofy compared to the original in my opinion.
Series: Dragon Ball: Grasscutter [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2081628





	Volume 1: Pilaf Saga

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the first chapter of my version of the Pilaf Saga, which covers the first 3 episodes of the original Dragon Ball anime. Needless to say, this is going to be a long series.

Our story begins on the outskirts of Paozu Village, named after the mountain it resides on, as the sun rises from the east to signify the start of a new day. From one of the houses, we see a young boy wake up to start the day, his brown hair a mess with bed head as he rubs the sleepiness out of his shamrock green eyes before getting himself out of bed. He proceeded to do several quick exercises such as push ups, sit ups, jumping jacks, pull ups, and a few air punches and kicks. During the latter, he was really getting into it, before a woman’s voice called out to him.

“Kusa! Breakfast! Are you up yet?”  
“Yeah mama! Just have to get dressed. Thank you!” the boy replied before hastily showering and getting dressed, putting on his blue gi with white obi and white tank top underneath, black shoes and red wristbands. He then hurried downstairs, where he was greeted by a big plate of food on the kitchen table by his mama, who let out a sigh upon seeing her son but smiled immediately after as he sat down and began to eat. Mama meanwhile left the room.  
“You forgot to brush your hair again sweetie. Let me guess, you got carried away with your morning martial arts again?” She asked in a joking manner. Kusa blushed, swallowing his current mouthful of food before replying.  
“I mean, maybe a little.”

This caused both of them to laugh as Mama returned with a hair brush and began brushing Kusa’s messy hair, asking him to hold still as he was still trying to eat while she brushed. Eventually she managed to get the hair to a reasonable look, his hair now sporting 3 spikes curved forward above his forehead, with a little tuft of hair standing on end in the back despite Mama’s best efforts, while the rest had been brushed down and now looked much shorter as a result (resembling teen gohan’s hair overall, but brown). Kusa finished his meal and thanked mama for breakfast and fixing his hair before hopping out of his seat and heading towards the door to the house. 

“Woah woah woah Kusa! What’s the rush for?”  
“I want to get my chores done asap so I can get in some extra training after lunch!”  
“Oh! Well don’t run off too fast. What chores do you have to do today?”  
Kusa stopped and thought for a moment. “Umm...we need more firewood, we’re running low on fish, and...oh yeah, Grandpa’s shrine needs a good dusting!”  
“Alright alright, but aren’t you forgetting something?”  
Kusa thought about it more, then facepalmed. “Oh. Right. Dishes. Sorry.” He said with another blush.  
“That’s alright sweetie. How about we do them together so they get done twice as fast, hmm?” She said with a loving smile.  
“OK!” Kusa said enthusiastically, as he took off his wristbands before rushing over to help start cleaning the dishes. Mama chuckled as she stood next to Kusa, taking his first washed dish and began drying it.

A little while later Kusa exits his house with his wristbands back on, his mama telling him to be careful and to not forget the wood knife. Kusa says he won’t and loops around back to a small shed, emerging a moment later with a wood knife that’s bigger than his whole body, hoisting it over his shoulder before running off into the nearby woods. From there he cut down a tree, making sure no animals lived in or on it first, and chopped it up into several wheels, which he then rolled back to the house one by one, balancing on top like a performer in order to better steer them before kicking them over in a clearing behind the house. He then chopped the wheels up into slabs and stacked them up by the shed before putting the wood knife away.

He then went back into the forest, going up a hill until he reached another clearing, where a small shrine stood. It was mostly empty, save for a small drawer off to the side, a broom leaning against the drawer, a bundle on top of said drawer, and a small pedestal with a pillow on top in the center of the room. Atop the pillow rested an orange spherical jewel, with 4 red stars seemingly encased inside it. 

“Hey there Grandpa. Hope you’re doing alright up here. I just came by to clean this place a bit and grab your power pole for some fishing later. Hope you don’t mind.” Kusa said to the empty room. There was a brief pause before Kusa let out a sad sigh. He then grabbed the broom and swept the floor of the shrine and the surrounding area of the shrine, followed by opening the drawer and pulling out a duster before proceeding to dust off the entire shrine, finishing up on the jewel after he fluffed the pillow that was underneath it. He lingered on the jewel a little longer than everything else, letting out another sad sigh before putting the jewel back, kneeling down in front of the pedestal and putting his hands together in a prayer. He stayed there for a few moments in silence before getting up and saying goodbye to his Grandpa until tomorrow, grabbing the bundle on top of the drawer and unwrapping it, revealing it to be a red staff of some kind that he slung over his shoulder. He then went into the drawer again, putting the duster back and pulling out a bundle of string, a cloth, and a fly swatter, biting a piece of string off from the bundle and putting that and the cloth in his pocket and sticking the swatter in the staff’s holster before heading out.

As he was leaving though, he turned back upon noticing the jewel was glowing. Kusa was awestruck, having never seen this happen before. He didn’t know what it meant, but he would definitely tell his mama about it after his fishing. Maybe it was his Grandpa trying to communicate with him! It was hard to say. Reinvigorated by this, Kusa ran deeper into the forest, attracting the attention of a sabretooth. Kusa though was only mildly concerned over this, managing to trick the cat into running off a cliff before continuing on his way. 

Kusa then arrives at a small pond, a thick layer of flies buzzing over and around it. Kusa pulls out the swatter and smacks several flies out of the air, catching them in the cloth and tying it tight with one end of the string. Kusa then makes his way to a nearby river, where he ties the bundle of flies to one end of the staff with the other end of the string, then puts the tied tip of the staff into the water and waits, whistling a tune to pass the time. Eventually though, a massive fish jumps out of the water trying to get the bait, which Kusa dodges before killing it and begins dragging it back, leaving the dead flies in the water to feed the other fish and pocketing the cloth and string after removing it from the staff.

As Kusa was making his way back home with his prize, he was nearly run over by an unexpected car from behind. Luckily he managed to dive out of the way in time, but the car crashed into his fish, causing the airbags to go off. Kusa got up, angry and confused, but calmed down when he saw a girl with teal hair stumble out of the car, dazed and confused but also very apologetic for nearly running Kusa over, as she didn’t think anyone lived out this far from the village. Kusa though explains that he was coming back from fishing, and despite the girl ultimately being the one at fault here, Kusa offers to have her over for lunch if she wanted, to which the girl agrees, surprised at how nice Kusa is being. Kusa though blushes and looks away in embarrassment, simply saying that his grandpa told him to be nice to girls, making the girl giggle as Kusa resumes his trek home, with the girl following behind after making sure the car was still usable.

They arrive at Kusa’s home, where after Kusa fills his mama in on the situation, the girl introduces herself as Bulma Briefs, while Mama introduces herself as Son Ashi and her son as Son Kusa. Ashi then begins preparing the fish Kusa brought in for lunch, not even batting an eye at the absurdity of her task given the size of the fish forced her to carve it outside.

Ashi: “So, Briefs huh? As in the daughter of the man behind Capsule Corp?”  
Bulma: “The very same!” She said with a confident grin.  
Kusa: “You know her mama?”  
Ashi: “Well, not her specifically, but even a place as remote Paozu Village knows of the Briefs family and what they’ve done for the rest of the world. I’ve heard tales of technology your father has made so wondrous it appears to be nothing short of magic, and that he himself could be called the smartest man on earth.” Ashi said this in a respectful tone as she was turned away from the pair, but with an underlying distaste to it that, while Kusa didn’t notice, made Bulma a little uneasy.  
Bulma: “Yeah, well, the way I’ve been burning through my studies, I betcha they’ll be calling me the smartest woman on earth someday!” She replied proudly.  
Ashi: She chuckles. “I wouldn’t be surprised.”  
Kusa: “Wow! Technology that works like magic? That sounds so cool!”  
Bulma: “Yeah it is! Check this out.” She replied, pulling out a capsule and pressing the button on it, causing her car to disappear in a puff of smoke.  
Kusa: “WOW! That really did look like magic!”  
Bulma: “Thank you, thank you. You’re too kind.” She said with a bow.  
Ashi: “Hmm. So tell me Miss Briefs, what brings someone as powerful as yourself out to a place like this, and unsupervised at that?”  
Kusa: “Powerful?” Kusa said, looking Bulma over skeptically before coming over to Ashi to whisper to her. “She doesn’t seem that strong.”  
Ashi: “Not that kind of powerful sweetie, and even if it was, looks can be deceiving. Her family’s power comes from their influence, not physical strength. This girl could ask for anything she wanted, and with enough time and resources, she could get it.” That underlying distaste was back.  
Bulma: “Heheh, well, I couldn’t ask for _anything._ ”  
Ashi: “No need to be modest Miss Briefs. Money makes the world go round after all, and those with more of it get to dictate how fast it goes round. That’s just how the world works.”  
Bulma: “...Did I...offend you in some way, Mrs. Ashi?”  
Ashi: She sighed. “No. Forgive me Miss Briefs for my rudeness. Things out here are just...well, let’s just say many luxuries you take for granted we can’t exactly afford to have.”  
Bulma: “Oh, I see. I’m sorry.”  
Ashi: “It’s not your fault. I suppose I’m just a little...envious, is all, but that doesn’t excuse my rudeness.” There was a moment of silence before Ashi cleared her throat to break the tension. “So, as I was saying before we digressed, what brings you out here Miss Briefs?”  
Bulma: “Oh right. Well, I am out here looking for something called ‘Dragon Balls.’”  
Kusa: “The WHAT?” He asked in shock.  
Ashi’s eyes widened before she suddenly butter fingered the knife in her hand, causing it to fall to the ground. “Excuse me?”  
Bulma: “...OH! No not THOSE kinds of balls.” Bulma said with an embarrassed blush and waving her hands in front of her frantically. “They’re small orange jewels with little stars in them, perfectly round like a sphere.” Ashi and Kusa calm down, only for Kusa’s eyes to widen.  
Kusa: “Wait, round orange jewel with red stars? Mama, doesn’t that sound like Grampa’s heirloom?”  
Bulma: “Heirloom?”  
Kusa: “Yeah. Before he died, he gave us his most prized possession, and we’ve been keeping it to honor his memory ever since.”  
Bulma: “I see. Does this heirloom look anything like this?” She said, reaching into a bag she had and pulling out two small orange jewels to show the pair, making their eyes go wide with wonder.  
Kusa: “Wow! They look just like Grampa’s heirloom! Except, Grampa's has four red stars. Yours have two and five stars. Weird, but cool. Do the number of stars in the jewel mean anything?”  
Bulma: “I’m not sure, but I know there’s 7 of them in total. From what I’ve researched, if someone can gather all 7 Dragon Balls together, they supposedly summon a magical dragon that can grant wishes.”  
Kusa: “WHAT?”  
Ashi cleared her throat before a scoff or a chuckle could escape her throat. “Miss Briefs, I’m surprised a woman of science like yourself would believe something so...fantastical in nature.”  
Bulma: “Well I’ll admit my dad doesn’t believe it, and I myself am a bit skeptical, but I’m also curious to see if this legend has any merit. Plus, me and my dad studied these balls before I left, and we found they do seem to have some kind of strange energy coming from them, which I was too curious not to look into further.”

As if on cue, the two orbs began to glow, which made Kusa’s eyes go even wider with wonder. “Woooooah. It’s just like when Grampa tried to talk to me earlier.”  
Ashi: “Wait, what?”  
Kusa: “Oh yeah. Grampa tried to talk to me in the shrine. At least, that’s what I thought was happening. Grampa’s jewel started glowing just like these Dragon Balls are now. I didn’t know what it meant so I was going to ask you about it when I was done with my chores, but then Bulma showed up and I forgot to tell you.”  
Ashi: “Oh I see.”  
Bulma: “Well I don’t know if the glowing was your Grampa trying to talk to you, but when I found my second dragon ball, my first one glowed just like this when I got close to it. I think it’s the energy these balls are emitting that causes them to glow, like it’s some kind of reaction to the balls being closer together. I don’t suppose I could see your Grampa’s heirloom, could I?”

Ashi and Kusa looked between each other, uncertainty in their eyes, before hesitantly agreeing. The trio then make their way to Grampa Gohan’s shrine, and Bulma is instantly enamoured by the sight of the third ball. Sure enough, once she puts the other two balls she has next to the four star ball, they all begin to glow in unison, and slightly brighter than before at that.  
Bulma: “Fascinating.”  
Ashi: “Ok, well we can confirm that these ‘Dragon Balls’ as they’re apparently called do seem to react to each other like you said. So I guess you’ll be on your way then Miss Briefs?”  
Bulma: “Hmm? Oh, yeah I guess so. Three down and four to go.”  
Ashi: “You mean two down.”  
Bulma: “Huh? No. I have three right here and there are seven Dragon Balls total.”  
Ashi: “Yes, but you haven’t exactly asked if you can have it, now have you?”  
Bulma: “Oh, um, I guess you’re right.” There was an awkward silence, as Ashi looked sternly at Bulma with her arms crossed and Kusa looked uncomfortably back at the four-star ball. “So, uh...can I have your Dragon Ball?”  
Ashi: “...No.”  
Bulma: “What? Why not?”  
Kusa: “Because this ‘Dragon Ball’ isn’t yours!” Kusa said as he swiped the ball and held it protectively away from Bulma. “It’s the last thing we have to remember my Grampa by!”  
Ashi: “Indeed, and no offense to you Miss Briefs but you are a stranger to us; a stranger who almost ran over my son mind you. Why exactly should we give my father’s most prized possession over to you just like that?”  
Bulma: “Oh come on! Clearly this legend has some scientific merit to it. Otherwise the balls wouldn’t be reacting this way. How could I not see what happens when all seven are gathered? I doubt some magical dragon will show up, but something incredible is bound to happen! Otherwise there wouldn’t be a legend about them to begin with. Aren’t you the least bit curious too?”  
Ashi’s expression remained stern as she shifted her weight while still having her arms crossed, though Kusa’s face did get a mildly curious expression as he thought about it more. A quick glance at his mama though and Kusa followed her example.  
Ashi: “You are not making a very convincing argument young lady. Besides, how do you plan on finding the other balls anyway? From what I gather you’ve just gotten lucky.”  
Bulma: “Ha! Luck’s got nothing to do with it. I told you these balls had some kind of unique energy to them right? So me and my dad went and whipped up a radar that can track that energy. Check it out.”  
Bulma then pulled out a strange looking device, its green screen beeping every so often. When it did, the screen lit up, showing three small dots clustered together. “See? Those are the three balls here,--” Bulma then pressed a button and the picture on the screen zoomed out to reveal a map of the world, and on said were seven dots in total scattered all over, minus the three clustered together. “--and those are the other four in different parts of the world.”  
Kusa now looked very interested, but Ashi remained stern. “Alright, but you still haven’t convinced us why we should give you our Dragon Ball.”  
Bulma: “Come on, please? I promise I’ll give it back when I’m done with it, and it’ll still be in the same perfect condition it is right now.” She asked with desperate niceness in her voice, even pulling out puppy dog eyes. Ashi though remained unmoved.  
Ashi: “I’m sorry Miss Briefs, but the answer is still no. What would you have even wished for if this legend was true and you could be granted wishes? What else could you possibly want that you couldn’t already get, if you’ll forgive my rudeness for asking?”  
Bulma was caught off guard at the question, shrinking in place and looking away from the pair as an embarrassed blush crossed her face. “Well when you ask like that I feel like my answer would make things worse.”  
Kusa: “Really? How could your wish make things worse? What were you gonna wish for?”  
Bulma’s blush grew even redder as she felt Ashi’s stern gaze slowly turning into a glare. “...A lifetime supply of strawberries?” She said, wincing at her own words as Kusa’s face went deadpan shocked while Ashi’s expression grew even more venomous as irritated veins appeared along her temples. “...My other idea was to wish for a perfect boyfriend.” Bulma followed up, only for Kusa to fall to the ground comically while Ashi gave an exasperated sigh.  
Ashi: “I’m sorry Miss Briefs, but if there was any chance of me saying yes before, that chance is now gone. The answer is no, so unless you wish to stay for lunch I suggest you be on your way.” She said firmly but still trying to keep a respectful tone before turning back to Kusa as her expression and body language immediately softened. “Come on Kusa. Why don’t we keep an eye on Grampa and have him with us for lunch?” She asked kindly before turning back towards the house.  
Kusa looked at Ashi as she began to walk away, then back at Bulma who was simply stomping her foot in frustration and fighting the urge to say some choice words to this grown up who was denying her what she wanted, then back at the dragon ball he was holding before sighing and following after Ashi. “Ok Mama. It would be nice to have Gram…” Kusa’s face slowly lit up as a thought entered his mind. “Wait Mama! What if he _was_ with us?” Ashi stopped and turned back to look at Kusa in confusion, while Bulma looked at him with surprise at his outburst.  
Ashi: “If who was with us sweetie?”  
Kusa: “Grampa Gohan! What if he was actually with us? We could use the Dragon Balls to wish him back to life!”  
Ashi: She sighed. “Kusa, I know you miss your Grampa. I do too, but--”  
Kusa: “I know it’s unlikely Mama. I’m not a fool. I just think that, if there’s even a chance this could be real, I should at least try!”  
Ashi: “Kusa--”  
Kusa: “Plus, even if it doesn’t turn out to be real, it’s still a chance to go on an adventure, explore the world, and what’s more I can make sure nothing happens to Grampa’s heirloom by going with Bulma! She gets to see the science behind these balls being gathered and doesn’t have to travel alone, and I get Grampa back at best and a great story to tell you and Grampa when I get back! Everybody wins!”  
Ashi: “No, at worst you and this girl could get seriously hurt going somewhere you shouldn’t, or even killed! I have no intention of having you go gallivanting off with this teenage girl you’ve never met into the wild unknown for goodness knows how long.”  
Kusa: “Come on Mama! You know I can take care of myself. Always have thanks to Grampa! Plus, wouldn’t it be so great to have him back?”  
Ashi: “Of course it would sweetheart, but--”  
Bulma: “Don’t you worry Miss Ashi. Kusa is right! I’m more interested in the science behind these balls than anything, and frankly, his idea for a wish is a lot better than either of mine, so I don’t mind him having it. Plus, I can take care of myself as well. If I couldn’t, I wouldn’t be out here in the first place, especially on my own.” She said confidently.  
Kusa: “Come on Mama. Please? I swear on my good name that I won’t let anything happen to Grampa’s Dragon Ball, and that no harm will come to me or Bulma.” He said with one hand on his heart and his other raised up as he made his oath.  
Ashi looked between the two kids for a moment before letting out a sigh of resignation. “Alright.”  
Kusa: “Yay! Thank you Mama!” Kusa said with a big hug, which Ashi returned a moment after impact. Bulma thought this was cute, until she saw Ashi look sternly at her again for a moment.  
Ashi: “Alright Kusa, alright. Now, if you’re sure about this, then you better pack for this. We don’t want you running around as a dirty wild man, now do we?”  
Kusa chuckled. “No, I guess not.”  
Ashi: “That’s my boy. Now then, go get your suitcase from your closet and pack it with a few sets of clothes and your toiletries. I will pack you some food in the meantime.”  
Kusa: “Ok Mama. Thanks again!” Kusa said before running back towards the house, leaving Ashi and Bulma alone at the shrine. Ashi looked back at Bulma again, this time with a more skeptical look than her earlier stern one.  
Bulma: “Thank you so much Miss Ashi, and like I said, I’ll make sure you get your dragon ball back after I’m done with it, and I promise nothing is going to happen to Kusa.”  
Ashi: “Right, right. Well you can just wait outside the house. Kusa should be ready to go in a couple hours. You can spend that time making sure your car is ok, hmm?” She said with a raised eyebrow before she and Bulma headed back down towards the house.

Sure enough, a little while later, as Bulma made sure the car was in good working order, Kusa came out with a suitcase, his Grampa’s power pole strapped to his back, and a giddy grin on his face.  
Bulma: “Ready to go?”  
Kusa: “Sure am.” He said before turning back to the house. “Ok Mama! I’m off! Wish us luck!”  
Ashi: “Hold on, hold on. Aren’t you forgetting something?” She said as she stepped out of the house, holding a suitcase of her own as well, causing both kids to look surprised.  
Bulma: “Wha?”  
Kusa: “What? Mama, I don’t--”  
Ashi: “Oh come now Kusa. What self-respecting mother would I be if I let my own son run off who knows where with some girl he only just met? You two are in desperate need of adult supervision.”  
Bulma: “Now hang on! I never agreed--”  
Ashi: “Unless you’d like to call this whole thing off, hmm? Like it or not you two, I’m coming with you. After all, there isn’t much to do around here anyway without Kusa to liven up the place. Plus I’m sure you wouldn’t mind an extra pair of eyes and hands to help on your journey, hmm? Cooking, cleaning, helping with searching? That sort of thing?  
Bulma opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it, making Ashi smile triumphantly. “Excellent. Kusa, be a dear and take this and put it in the back of the car would you?”  
Kusa: “Sure thing Mama!” Kusa said happily, grabbing Ashi’s suitcase and his own and moving to the back of the car, Bulma having opened it up for their luggage. This gave Ashi a chance to look sternly at Bulma one more time.  
Ashi: “I want you to know Miss Briefs, I like to see the best in people, even in the worst of times, but this doesn’t mean I am fully trusting of everyone I meet right from the start. So I’ll be keeping my eye on you. I just wanted you to know that.”  
Bulma gulped nervously. “Y-Yes ma’am.”  
Ashi’s face then changed to a warm smile, surprising Bulma with the contrast to mere moments ago. “Excellent. Now given that you are underaged, do you mind if I take the wheel?”  
“Oh, uh, sure.” Bulma replied, taking the shotgun seat while opening the door for Ashi to get in the driver’s seat.  
“Woah! I didn’t know you could drive Mama!” Kusa replied, taking a seat in the back and putting his seatbelt on, as did the two ladies.  
“Well it’s been a decade or two admittedly, but I actually lived in the city for a while before coming back to stay with Grampa out here, so I still remember enough to drive safely.” Ashi replied.  
“Really? Why did you come back to live out here Mama?” Kusa replied.  
Ashi paused, and Bulma noted a pained look in her eyes before she shook whatever thoughts she had out of her mind. “A story for another time sweetie. Maybe when you’re older. For now, let’s go and start that adventure, shall we?” She said as the car revved to life.  
“Yeah!” Kusa exclaimed, bouncing in his seat with excitement, only for the car to lurch forward before starting to drive normally. Ashi apologized as the trio began to drive off, their grand adventure awaiting.

Meanwhile, a little blue gremlin named Pilaf, a dog ninja named Shu, and a young woman named Mai, collect a dragon ball from within a dungeon, and after narrowly escaping the traps this triggers, declare this to be the first step towards “The Great Emperor Pilaf’s” wish for world domination!

Back with our heroes, the trio drive for a while with Bulma acting as navigation via the radar. She comments that Ashi drives a lot slower than she’s seen others in the city do, to which Ashi simply calls those other drivers reckless. As they drive though, they encounter a Pterodactyl that tries to carry them off while they’re still in the car. Kusa though manages to knock the dinosaur off with his power pole before they can be lifted too far off the ground, but they nearly drive right off the road in the process of trying to regain control. Kusa then says he’ll be right back and chases after the Pterodactyl, smacking it around with the power pole until it flies off. Bulma is amazed by Kusa’s bravery and strength, but Ashi waves it off, saying that he’s always been able to take care of himself.

The trio then continue on until the car breaks down from the pterodactyl attack, forcing them to make camp for the night in Skull Valley while Bulma makes repairs on the car. Ashi instructs Kusa to go find some strong sticks to hold up a tablecloth she had brought in order for them to make a makeshift tent, but Bulma says that isn’t necessary, pulling out a capsule that reveals a small house inside. Ashi and Kusa are amazed, even more so when the pair go inside to see it has things like electricity and TV, running water and a proper bathroom, and an actual refrigerator. Ashi comments that this portable house is nicer than her own home, much to her dismay, which confuses Bulma as she thought everyone had amenities like this. Ashi though explains that her and Kusa’s house didn’t have any of these luxuries. They didn’t have electricity, so they used candlelight and a fireplace for light and heat at night. They didn’t have running water, but rather collected water from a nearby river, heating it over a fire in a big kettle if they wanted to take a warm bath. They didn’t have a refrigerator, but instead a chest they would fill with ice to preserve any leftovers they had for another night or two. 

Bulma is in disbelief, having no idea there were people in the world living like this, but Ashi waves it off, not blaming the girl for her ignorance, as she was the same way when she lived in the city before moving out to Paozu Village. Bulma wants to retort, but Ashi asks that she leave it alone, apologizing if her comment came off as rude but not wanting to discuss it further. This left Bulma with nothing to do but make repairs to the car while Ashi had Kusa wash up for dinner and she prepared said dinner, after getting the ok from Bulma to use the food in her fridge. 

Kusa has a little trouble at first, having never used a shower before, but gets himself cleaned up eventually. Ashi meanwhile prepares a feast for dinner, which impresses Bulma, but makes her wonder why she made so much food. She gets her answer though when Kusa manages to wolf down about half of the food present, while Ashi goes through another quarter all on her own. When asked about it, She simply says big appetites run in her family, claiming her father would have wolfed down this entire banquet and still had room for more, shocking Bulma. Later after Bulma and Ashi had had their turns washing up, Ashi especially enjoying the warm bath, comparing it to a private hot spring with fancy soaps, the trio soon go to bed.

In the morning Bulma is awoken incredibly early by commotion in the other room. She discovers that Ashi and Kusa have been up since the crack of dawn, with the former preparing Bulma’s remaining food for breakfast while Kusa was doing his morning exercises. Bulma is in disbelief at this, but after being unable to fall back asleep, she gets dressed and goes out to repair the car. As she does so, a turtle comes along asking for help getting back to his master down by the beach. Bulma doesn’t want to help but goes in to get the turtle some saltwater, inadvertently informing Ashi and Kusa of the situation. The Son family however want to help the turtle, with Ashi suggesting they take him down to the beach with the car while Kusa offers to carry the turtle back if he doesn’t fit. Bulma however explains that the beach was many miles away from where they were, and was nowhere near any of the dragon balls on the radar. Kusa though thinks he could handle such a trek, thinking it would make for decent training, and offers to take the turtle and come back. Ashi agrees, but worries he might get lost so she asks Bulma to let Kusa borrow her radar in order to get back to them. Bulma reluctantly agrees, concerned that Kusa might break it but seeing as the car still needs to be repaired Kusa wouldn’t have anything to do in the meantime anyway. Kusa thanks Bulma, pockets the radar and says he’ll be back soon before hoisting the turtle on his back and beginning his jog towards the beach, leaving Bulma and Ashi alone in Skull Valley for the time being. Bulma was concerned about being alone like this without this powerhouse of a kid to protect them, but Ashi assures her that they’ll be fine, going back inside the capsule house to see what was on TV these days compared to when she lived in the city, leaving Bulma alone to repair the car, much to her chagrin.

So Kusa made his way to the beach, following turtle’s directions even as the journey became miles and miles longer than Kusa had expected, but he never got tired. At one point a bear man came along wishing to eat the turtle, but after a brief fight Kusa defeated the bear man and continued on his way. The pair eventually reached the beach, where Kusa gently put the turtle into the surf. Turtle thanked Kusa for his help, to which Kusa says he’s welcome before turning to head back. Turtle though tells him to wait, as he wants to give Kusa a gift for helping him. Kusa agrees and waits on the beach as Turtle swims off. After a while, Kusa sees something off in the distance. He looks out and sees that it’s Turtle, who is carrying someone on his back. The person gets off of Turtle’s back and introduces himself as Master Roshi, the turtle hermit. Kusa introduces himself as Son Kusa, though remarks that the title of turtle hermit sounded familiar to him, but he wasn’t sure why. Roshi as well thought the name Son sounded familiar, but couldn’t put his finger on why either. 

Deciding not to worry about it, Roshi explains that he has a gift for Son Kusa as a reward for helping him reunite with his old friend Turtle. He then presents Son Kusa with the Flying Nimbus, a magical cloud that can be summoned by calling its name and ridden upon, though only by the pure of heart, as Roshi demonstrates by trying and failing to ride the Nimbus. Kusa however attempts it, despite not thinking he was pure of heart either, and finds that he can indeed ride it. After getting a feel for how to ride it, he hopped off again and thanked Master Roshi for the gift. As Kusa is bowing in gratitude to the old hermit though, he notices the Dragon Ball hanging around Roshi’s neck, and realizes that was why the radar had said the ball was moving. Kusa immediately asks if he could have it, causing Roshi to loudly berate the young whippersnapper, thinking that just because he had wanted to reward the young boy for his help the kid now felt entitled to another reward? Kusa apologizes profusely as that wasn’t his intent, and offers to take the Dragon Ball instead of the Nimbus if he didn’t like the idea of him asking for two gifts, this though causes further irritation form the hermit, as now it seemed like Kusa didn’t like his reward and wanted to trade it for something else. Kusa apologies profusely again as that wasn’t his intent either, managing to calm Roshi down as the old man could clearly see the boy wasn’t trying to exploit him.

Kusa then offers to do another favor for the turtle hermit in exchange for the Dragon Ball, to which the hermit is willing but unsure what to have the boy do. He thinks about it before asking Kusa if he knew any pretty girls. Kusa blushes at the question, hesitantly saying that he assumed his Mama was very pretty, but he didn’t know a lot of girls to compare prettiness with to be sure, the thought causing him to turn even further red. Roshi though is uninterested in mothers, and asks if Kusa knows any _young_ pretty girls, causing Kusa to blush even deeper. He then very reluctantly mentions that Bulma would...probably qualify as cute, and was also closer to his age. Roshi blushes thinking about it, and comes to a decision: he will give Kusa his ‘Dragon Ball’ as he calls it, in exchange for showing him this Bulma’s underwear. 

There is a moment of silence as Kusa’s face turns redder and redder with embarrassment before steam shoots out of his ears. He then berates the old man for being a pervert and even thinking of such a disgusting and disrespectful request. Had he no shame? Had he no common decency? Women were not just some objects for him to oogle over like this. Roshi though simply chuckles and shrugs, unphased by Kusa’s tirade and even calling it cute how much of a little gentlemen he was trying to be, before simply stating that if Kusa wasn’t willing then that was perfectly fine, though that meant he wouldn’t get this “Dragon Ball” he cared so much about. Roshi then wishes Kusa a nice day and begins to leave the beach on Turtle’s back. Kusa now feels incredibly conflicted before finally telling Roshi to wait, making the old hermit smirk while his back is turned towards Kusa. He then turns around with a kindly old man expression, asking if Kusa had changed his mind. Kusa doesn’t immediately answer, but says he would ask Bulma about it and come back. Roshi agrees to wait, having nothing better to do today, but says if Kusa doesn’t return by sunset then the hermit would return home. Kusa agrees that that was only fair before flying off on Nimbus, leaving the old man laughing at both the boy’s antics and at the prospect of seeing some nice panties, the thoughts of what they may look like causing him a nosebleed.

Back with Bulma and Ashi, the former was hard at work on repairing the car, while Ashi came out with some tea for the two of them. Bulma thanked her and had just gotten up from the ground when Kusa arrived. Bulma and Ashi are amazed by the Flying Nimbus, and Kusa explains that the turtle’s master had given it as a gift to him for reuniting him with his turtle. He further explains that apparently only the pure of heart can ride the nimbus, which intrigues the two women. Bulma tries to get on but falls right through, much to her annoyance, while with Kusa’s help climbing on, it appeared that Ashi was pure of heart as well, being able to sit on the cloud without trouble. Kusa then shows Ashi how to control the nimbus, and while she isn’t a fan of flying at high speeds, she finds it much more comfortable than the car, no offense to Bulma of course. Bulma pouts for a bit but realizes that with the nimbus, they no longer had to wait for the car to be fixed; Kusa and Ashi can ride the Nimbus while she could use her motorcycle to keep up. Ashi agrees with this plan and the trio prepare to head out, with Bulma putting the house and car back in their capsules while taking out her motorcycle. She then remembers that Kusa still had the radar and asks for it back. Kusa agrees, but then remembers the hermit’s Dragon Ball.

Kusa: “Umm, actually, there was something else about the old man I should tell you.”  
Ashi: “Oh, and what would that be sweetie?”  
Kusa: “Umm, well, it turns out he also has a Dragon Ball.”  
Bulma: “Really? That’s great!”  
Ashi: “Indeed. Seems that helping that turtle out turned out to be a blessing in disguise.”  
Bulma: “Yeah, no kidding! What are the odds something like this would happen? So where is it Kusa?”  
Kusa: “Well, uh, it’s still with the old man. He wouldn’t just give it to me.”  
Bulma: “What do you mean? You reunited him with his pet turtle.”  
Kusa: “Yeah, but he already gave me his Nimbus as a gift, and he thought I was being rude for trying to get the ball instead.”  
Ashi: “I see. So you came back just to let us know?”  
Kusa: “Well, u-u-umm…” Kusa shifted in place uncomfortably, unwilling to look either woman in the eye as an embarrassed blush came over his face. “...not exactly. He did agree to give me the Dragon Ball...if I could do him a favor in return.”  
Bulma: “Ok, and you came back here to tell us because...?”  
Ashi: “Well clearly he came back because he needs our help to fulfill this favor.”  
Kusa: “Y-Yeah. That.”  
Bulma: “Ok, ok. So what’s the favor then?”  
Kusa: “Ummmmmmm…” Kusa was now beet red and squirming in place.  
Ashi: “What’s wrong sweetie? Is this favor something unpleasant?”  
Kusa: “Y-Yeah. Definitely unpleasant. Ummm…”  
Bulma: “Well come on and tell us! You were able to fight off a Pterodactyl single-handedly. How much worse could this favor be compared to that?”  
Ashi: “Well Kusa does have a fear of needles, but just go ahead and tell us Kusa. We can’t help you with this favor if you don’t tell us either way.”  
Kusa: “Right right. Ummm...The old man will give me the Dragon Ball, if…”  
Ashi: “If...?”  
Kusa: “If I…”  
Bulma: “Oh for the love of; just spit it out already!”  
Kusa: “I-IF I SHOWED HIM BULMA’S UNDERWEAR!” He shouted so loud that birds in the surrounding trees flew off in surprise before bracing for something to happen.

There was a moment of silence, with Bulma and Ashi showing expression of disbelief at what Kusa had said, while Kusa himself was so red he looked like he would pass out, which he admittedly considered for a brief moment. Kusa then opened one eye to look at the two ladies, only for Bulma to snap.  
Bulma: “EXCUSE ME?”  
Kusa: “I-I told him I didn’t want to do it, but I knew we also needed his Dragon Ball! So I told him I’d go and ask you--”  
Bulma: “Ask me if it was ok for you to show him MY underwear?”  
Kusa: “H-He was going to leave if I didn’t! I had to tell him something! He’s down by the beach right now waiting for me to come back.”  
Bulma: “With MY underwear!”  
Kusa: “I-I’m sorry! I told you I didn’t want to do it, but we need his Dragon Ball!”  
Bulma: “Well why didn’t you just take it from him?” This caused Ashi to look at Bulma in shock at even suggesting it, which Bulma notices.  
Kusa: “He was an old man! I couldn’t just beat him up and take the ball, especially after he just gave me such an amazing gift!”  
Bulma: “I didn’t say beat him up! Look I…” Bulma sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Of all the people to have one of the balls, it had to be some pervy old man with a talking pet turtle.”  
Ashi: “...Hang on. Pervy old man? A pet turtle? Why does that sound familiar? Kusa, did this man tell you his name?”  
Kusa: “Oh. Yeah. He called himself Master Roshi, the Turtle Hermit.”  
Ashi: Her face lit up in realization, and then disgust. “Master Roshi. I should have known.”  
Bulma: “Wait, you know this guy?”  
Ashi: “I haven’t seen him since I was a child, but yes, I do know him. He was my father’s martial arts master and a notorious pervert.”  
Kusa: “Wait, really? He was Grampa’s master? He did say the Son name was familiar to him when I introduced myself.”  
Ashi: “Indeed, probably because my father was one of his best students, but he left the hermit’s turtle school many years ago, partly to be a full time father to me and partly because he had outgrown Roshi’s training regiment.”  
Bulma: “Wait, then how do you know him if your dad left this Roshi guy’s school to raise you?”  
Ashi: “He introduced me when I was very young in the hopes that I would gain an interest in martial arts like he did. I never did and my father respected my decision, but Roshi was still a friend of the family, so he would visit our house in Paozu Village every once in a while. I haven’t seen him since before Kusa was born. Even as a child though, I could tell that man was a pervert. I’m just glad he had the decency not to try anything with me at the time out of respect to my father.”  
There was another moment of silence.  
Bulma: “So what now? Am I just supposed to let Kusa run off with a pair of my panties to show to this pervy old man?”  
Ashi: “That’s one option. I however would personally like to have a conversation with this turtle hermit to see if I can make him...reconsider.” Ashi said kindly, despite simultaneously cracking her knuckles as a menacing aura radiated from her, causing both Bulma and Kusa to recoil in fear. “Now Kusa, would you be so kind as to help me back on this Nimbus and take us back to where you talked with Master Roshi?”  
Kusa: “Y-Yes ma’am!” Kusa replied hastily, helping Ashi back onto the magic cloud before getting on himself and flying off back towards the beach, with Bulma following close behind on her motorcycle after Kusa slowed down at Ashi’s request, both for Bulma’s benefit and also she wasn’t a fan of flying at high speeds on this thing.

Back with Roshi, he had fallen asleep on a lounge chair while reading a dirty magazine, while Turtle was sunbathing on the beach. Turtle then woke Roshi up as he saw Kusa returning. Roshi was happy to hear this as he got up out of his chair and put the dirty magazine away.  
“So then my boy, did you bring the goods?” He said with a perverted laugh, only to turn around and see a young girl with blue hair showing up in a motorcycle a moment later. “Oh-ho, I take it this is the Bulma you mentioned. You were right, she is pretty.” Bulma shot Kusa a look and he turned away embarrassed. “I’m surprised you brought her though, unless she’s here to show me in person, which I’d be more than happy to--”  
“A-HEM!”  
It was then that Roshi noticed the middle aged woman being helped off the cloud by Kusa, the woman looking oddly familiar. “Oh, and I assume this is your mother then. Not sure why you brought her along as well.”  
“Oh I asked him to. I was hoping to meet the infamous turtle hermit in question, so that I could convince you to...reconsider your little deal with my son.” The mother replied, a menacing aura emanating from her as she began to walk towards him. Roshi immediately felt fear but attempted to play it cool.  
“Now hold on just a moment missy, I don’t know what your son told you--”  
“He told me enough.”  
“Then you should know I did not tell him to bring the girl here.”  
“No, but you did put my son in a situation that I can’t exactly allow, let alone condone.”  
“Well I--”  
“Honestly, I had hoped after all these years you would have grown out of your perverted ways, but I suppose this was wishful thinking on my part.”  
“Eh? I’m sorry, have we met before? You do look rather familiar.”  
“I’m surprised you don’t remember me, or my father for that matter, ‘Mr. Roshi.’” The mother replied as her steps grew more aggressive towards him.  
“Father...wait, Mr. Roshi?...Oh no--” Roshi’s face paled as Ashi’s aura now seemed to engulf the old man, her expression becoming a malicious grin. “N-Now Ashi, l-let me explain!” She gave a vengeful smirk. “I-If I had known he was your son, I-I would never have--” She cracked her knuckles. “Pl-Pl-Please! L-Let’s just talk about this! No. No please! NOOOOOO!”

A moment later and Roshi is on the ground in a crumpled heap, his face red from repeated slaps to it and his head covered in bumps from numerous blows to it, as Ashi stood triumphantly over him, nodding her head while crossing her arms and giving a sigh of satisfaction before turning back to rejoin the dumbfounded Kusa and Bulma.  
Kusa: “Wow. That was...wow. I didn’t know you could do that Mama.”  
Bulma: “Yeah. I thought you said you didn’t have an interest in fighting.”  
Ashi: “Not having an interest and not knowing are two different things Miss Briefs. When your father is one of the greatest martial artists in the world, you end up learning a thing or two just from watching. I simply didn’t have the same passion for it that he did, as I only really use it for self-defense...and the occasional butt whooping to those who deserve it.” She said, looking back at Roshi over her shoulder as he painfully lifts himself from the ground.  
Kusa: “Remind me to never forget to do my chores again.” He whispered to Bulma, who simply nodded wordlessly without looking at Kusa as Ashi turned back around to face Roshi.  
Ashi: “Now then, why don’t we try this again, hmm? I see that you have a Dragon Ball ‘Mr. Roshi.’ I don’t suppose we could trouble you to part with it? I understand if you’d rather not give it away for free, but perhaps we can negotiate, hmm?” Ashi said in a kind tone with a warm smile, but this just put everyone on edge given what they had only just witnessed a moment ago.  
Roshi: Groans in pain as he gets to his feet. “Still just like your father I see. Always showing kindness to others, even after humbling them so hard they can’t see straight.” Roshi croaked before cracking his back with a painful yelp. “As for this here Dragon Ball, I don’t know what it is that makes it so precious to you, but I just wanted it stated for the record that if I had realized the boy I was talking to was the grandson of Son Gohan, I would have been more than happy to oblige.” He continued as he pulled the ball off of its necklace and held it out to the trio, which Kusa quickly ran over to take before handing it to Bulma, who added it to their bag.  
Ashi: “I figured, but didn’t want to assume, especially after giving such a request to my boy. Plus I never had the chance to pay you back for what you did the last time we met.”  
Roshi: “I’ll tell you the same thing I told your father: I slipped on my spilled ramen!”  
Ashi: “Yeah, and Father didn’t believe you then either. Frankly, you’re lucky he chose to be respectful by only trouncing you in a sparring match.”  
The two locked eyes with each other, poised ready to brawl, only for both their faces to soften as they both sighed.  
Roshi: “I’m sorry for missing the funeral. I know it’s no excuse, but I didn’t even know about it until weeks after, and by then I was worried I wouldn’t be welcome for...obvious reasons.”  
Ashi: “No, it’s fine. You weren’t even wrong. Mother didn’t want you there anyway, given her opinion of you.”  
The pair chuckled at that.  
Roshi: “How have you been since then?”  
Ashi: “Fine. Decided to stay in Paozu. It’s a simple life, but it’s ours.”  
Roshi: “I see. Glad to hear it. I’ll have to remember to visit every once in a while.”  
Ashi: “I’d like that...He’d like that.”  
The two smiled at each other before sighing again, followed by a moment of silence.  
Roshi: “...Well, I should probably be getting back home. It’s been a long morning for all of us I assume.” He said, turning to look at Kusa. “You’ll take good care of the Nimbus and this Dragon Ball, yes?”  
Kusa: “O-Oh. Y-Yes sir Mr. Turtle Hermit sir.” Kusa replied. Roshi chuckled.  
Roshi: “Just Roshi will do. Although, if you are indeed your grandfather’s grandson, you may just call me Master Roshi someday, hmm?”  
Kusa’s face lit up before proceeding to bow to the old man. “Y-Yes! It would be an honor to train under you someday, Master Roshi.” Kusa replied excitedly. Roshi chuckled again.  
Roshi: “Very well. If you ever want to come visit, there’s a turtle shaped rock I put on a beach that’s visible from Mount Paozu’s highest peak. Find the rock and follow the direction its head is pointing, and you’ll eventually find my island.  
Kusa: “Alright. Thank you!”  
Roshi: “My pleasure. Looking forward to it. For now though, I think I’ll take my leave. Come Turtle.” 

Roshi then gets atop Turtle and the pair ride off into the ocean, with Roshi waving goodbye and wishing them luck on their journey, as does the trio before they head off as well. Despite Ashi and Kusa riding the Nimbus, Bulma wants to stick to the roads if possible as they travel, which the pair don’t mind, as they continue on in their search for the Dragon Balls.


End file.
